Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan Reportedly Hired by British-Based Firms

Situated close to the gleaming soccer ground of Tottenham Hotspur in London lies a plain, unremarkable apartment building. Behind its unremarkable facade lies a dark reality: a cramped second-floor apartment connected to deadly atrocities unfolding a vast distance to the south.

Per UK government records, this one-bedroom flat in north London is connected to a international network of firms implicated in the mass hiring of mercenaries to combat in the African nation alongside paramilitaries charged of numerous war crimes and genocide.

Hundreds of Former South American Soldiers Recruited

A large number of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to serve with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group responsible for mass rapes, targeted killings, and the widespread killing of civilians.

Colombian mercenaries were directly involved in the RSF's capture of the western Sudanese city of El Fasher in late October, which triggered a killing frenzy that analysts say has cost at least 60,000 lives.

As reports of violence mount, connections have been found between the mercenaries contracted to overrun El Fasher and addresses in the UK capital.

London Flat Connected to Sanctioned Firm

The apartment in Tottenham is registered to a corporation named Zeuz Global, set up by two people identified and sanctioned last week by the US treasury for recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for the RSF.

Both figures – citizens of Colombia in their 50s – are listed in documents at the UK company registry as resident in the United Kingdom.

The company is active. The day after the United States announced restrictions on those running the recruitment network, Zeuz Global suddenly relocated its registered address to the very heart of central London. Its updated address corresponds to a luxury accommodation in Covent Garden.

Both hotels stated they had no link to Zeuz Global and were unaware why the firm had used their postcodes.

"It is of serious worry that the key individuals the American authorities states are directing this fighter recruitment have been able to establish a UK company operating from a flat in north London," said an expert, a analyst and former member of a UN panel on Sudan.

Questions Raised Over British Firm Oversight

Experts argue the situation raises concerns over how individuals openly censured by the US for "fueling the civil war in Sudan" were able to seemingly establish and operate a firm in the British capital.

The UK's top diplomat has condemned the RSF for "organized murder, abuse and assault" following the group’s seizure of El Fasher. The RSF has been accused by the US with genocide.

When questioned about the company, Companies House did not respond on whether it had knowledge of the firm’s operations or verify the location of the penalized people.

Contacting Zeuz was unsuccessful; its website, set up in May, was labelled as "being built" with lacking information.

Network Led by Retired Officer

Per the US treasury, the figure at the heart of the Colombian recruiting network for the RSF is a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Gulf state.

The US accuses this individual of playing a central role in recruiting former Colombian soldiers to be deployed to Sudan using a Colombian recruitment firm. His wife was also sanctioned for owning and managing the agency.

Another individual with two citizenships was similarly censured for managing a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the network hiring the Colombian fighters.

"In 2024 and 2025, companies in America associated with this individual engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions of US dollars," the US treasury statement said.

Firm Establishment and Escalating Violence

In April of this year, the penalized figures set up a company in north London named ODP8 Ltd – later re-branded Zeuz Global.

Shortly after, the RSF assaulted the Zamzam camp for displaced people, killing more than 1,500 innocent people. After its seizure, the site was transferred to the hired fighters, who began planning for assaulting El Fasher.

The penalized people are listed in official UK documents as holding "starting shares" in the company, with one named as a person of "significant control".

Both list the UK as their "country of residence".

Effect on the War and Wider Issues

The recruitment of the Colombians has had a significant effect on the course of the conflict, experts state. These fighters have reportedly instructed minors to be combatants, as well as serving as snipers, infantrymen, instructors, and operators for drones.

These drones were instrumental in the fall of El Fasher and during fighting in other regions.

"The war in Sudan is a hi-tech one, with guided weapons and remote aircraft causing regular fatalities," added the analyst. "These systems require outside assistance to operate. We know that the recruitment network has been a significant part of this outside support."

He noted that the participation of penalized persons in a London firm highlighted broader concerns over the absence of strict vetting when firms are set up.

"Owning a UK company like this is a license for criminals to do deals with legitimate counterparts. It's still more difficult to join a fitness centre in most cases than to set up a UK company," he stated.

Government Response and Ongoing Allegations

A UK official stated that the recent introduction of "compulsory ID checks" for corporate officers would provide more confidence about who was setting up and running UK companies.

The Colombians’ involvement in Sudan first came to light last year, leading to an apology from the South American nation's government.

One of the fighters recently admitted that he had trained children in Sudan and seen combat in El Fasher.

The United Arab Emirates, long accused of supplying weapons to the RSF, has also been connected to the hiring of the contractors. A investigation alleged that Emirati business people providing Colombians to the RSF were linked to a senior UAE government official. The UAE has consistently denied these allegations.

A British government spokesperson commented: "The UK is demanding an immediate end to violence, the protection of non-combatants, and the lifting of obstacles to humanitarian access."

They noted that the UK had also sanctioned RSF leaders for their role in the crimes in El Fasher.